Far-flung families' thanksgiving blues.

• Position: Your Life - Brief Article

Thanksgiving is traditionally a family-oriented holiday, but with many families spread out across the country--even around the world --sometimes the distance is too great to allow everyone to get together. The holidays can be particularly hard on older family members, especially when they can't be with their relatives, says Myron Weiner, vice chairman for clinical services of psychiatry at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. A geriatric psychiatrist, he treats many older people who find that being alone during the holidays brings on conditions ranging from "the blues" to major depression. "It's a sad fact, but not everyone who would like to can be with family during holidays like Thanksgiving. But there are things we can do to make holidays happier for older family members who are not able to join other family members...